DREF final report Mali: Food Insecurity DREF operation n° MDRML008 26 February, 2013 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters. Summary: CHF 174,092 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 12 January 2012 to support the Mali Red Cross (CRM) in delivering assistance to 8,200 beneficiaries. In late 2011, assessments and early warning systems alerted that a food crisis would hit the country during 2012, primarily due to the poor harvest and drought situation. Reports indicated that up to 1.8 million persons in the regions of Kayes, Koulikoro, Gao, Kidal, Mopti and Segou would have difficulties to provide food for themselves. The government launched an international appeal for assistance to address the situation of food insecurity in the country. A deteriorating security situation due to clashes between the government and rebels in the northern part of the country contributed to worsen the situation and displaced thousands of people. This DREF operation enabled the Malian Red Cross (CRM) to respond to the emergency needs of 1,640 vulnerable households due the food crisis situation in the country. 1,640 families (10,640 persons) in the Kayes region were provided with food relief and education in food hygiene practices to reduce their vulnerability and risks for diseases. At the end of the operation, 78 percent of vulnerable households in the Kayes region were provided with food relief. This operation provided emergency food relief response and reduced vulnerability among the targeted families. With the continued needs identified in the target area, a Food Insecurity Emergency Appeal was prepared and launched by IFRC in June 2012 and is currently ongoing in the same areas covered by the DREF operation. In the financial report, some expenses relating to the Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) deployment were erroneously booked in the wrong budget lines (utensils and tools, consultant, medical and first aid) which explains the variances in these budget lines. The RDRT mission was also extended to cover the operation timeframe, which was longer than planned and budgeted resulting in higher costs in the final financial report. A financial monitoring mission that was not budgeted for was undertaken at the end of the operation by the regional finance officer to assist the National Society in finalizing the financial reports, thus the variance in the budget and expenditure.Additionally,no storage expenses were incurred due to the fact that relief items were distributed immediately after purchase.A total of CHF 1,484 that was unspent at the close of the operation will be returned to DREF. The Netherlands Red Cross /Government and the Belgian Red Cross /Government contributed towards the DREF replenishment of the allocation made for this operation. The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red 2 Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the Malian Red Cross, would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions. Details of all donors can be found on :http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2012.pdf <click here for the final financial report, or here to view contact details> The situation Mali, with its 13 million inhabitants, covers 1,204,000 square kilometres with more than half of the country being desert and semi-desert areas. For several decades, the country only had sporadic rainfall which led to a chronic drought situation in several regions. In 2011, the country had low rainfall, which was poorly distributed and negatively affected the agro pastoral production. In late 2011, assessments and early warning systems drew attention to the likelihood of a food crisis hitting the country during 2012, primarily due to the poor harvest and drought situation. The reports indicated that up to 1.8 million persons in the regions of Kayes, Koulikoro, Gao, Kidal, Mopti and Segou would have difficulties to provide food for themselves. In addition to the food emergency and persistent drought conditions, fighting broke out in January 2012 in the northern section of the country between armed groups and the Malian armed forces. The fighting led to the displacement of thousands of persons within Mali and to neighbouring countries of Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso. The crisis further deteriorated the food crisis situation in the country and negatively affected the response of the authorities to address the food insecurity. An assessment conducted by the MRC and IFRC concluded that in February and March 2012, approximately 60 percent of households in affected areas would find themselves food insecure due to lack of grain stocks and early April, the crisis would be the highest if no assistance were provided. The government, through the Office of the Food Security Commissioner, organized coordination meetings to gather the technical and financial partners for information exchange and policy formulation to address the food insecurity. As part of direct assistance, the government launched a free food distribution of 1,157 tonnes of food for six communes in the region of Kayes (Diafounou Gory; Fanga; Gory; Konsiga; Marekaffo and Soumpou). The contributions from the Mali Red Cross, ICRC and PNS partners indicated below, were closely coordinated with the government and appreciated. Red Cross and Red Crescent action The Mali Red Cross worked in close collaboration with the government to respond to the food crisis. In the emergency phase, CRM mobilized 100 volunteers from the local branches. Within the Movement, IFRC and the Mali Red Cross organized bi-weekly meetings with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Participating National Societies (PNS) and the National Society executives. The coordination meeting aimed at coordinating and harmonizing Red Cross actions in order to have better impact in the targeted areas. Mali Red Cross trained 72 volunteers and 13 staff to effectively carry out food relief distribution and food hygiene awareness raising in the targeted communities. A total of 1,640 households (10,640 persons) were reached with food relief for one month and food hygiene education. The IFRC has provided technical support throughout the operation, helping in coordinating the response with the Movement partners, and took part in the initial assessments and planning of the project as well as monitoring. A Regional Disaster Response Team member was deployed to support the implementation. ICRC provided support to the Mali Red Cross to implement its emergency response activities. Two PNS have worked directly with the food crisis with MRC; Spanish Red Cross has provided food and livestock assistance to 3,100 households in the region of Kayes, and the Swiss Red Cross has provided food assistance to 7,000 households in the region of Mopti. Seven Participating National Societies (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland) support the MRC with bilateral programming. 3 Achievements against outcomes Relief distributions (food and basic non-food items) Outcome: Reduce the vulnerability of 1,640 households affected by food difficulties and secure the household economy in the Circle of Kayes Outputs (expected results): Activities planned: Appropriate food rations are distributed the Mobilisation and briefing of volunteers 8,200 vulnerable people for one month in the Targeting the beneficiary households according Circle of Kayes to the set criteria Planning and distribution of food Monitoring of field activities Impacts: To achieve the expected results of the DREF operation, the capacity of MRC staff and volunteers was enhanced strengthened through trainings and on-site monitoring support. The capacity building activities involved training of 10 staff and volunteers in the development of plans of action focusing on IFRC standard templates. Furthermore, 32 volunteers were trained in volunteer supervision techniques and assessment, and distribution techniques in a food operation. A total of 50 volunteers, 2 team leaders and 2 members of the National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) were deployed by the CRM to support with implementation of activities. The training of staff and volunteers enabled the effective distribution of planned food assistance and food hygiene promotion activities. A total of 1,640 households (10,640 persons) received food assistance and food hygiene promotion information in the region of Kayes. Each household received 60 kg of rice, 0.75 kg of salt, 3.75 litres of oil, 2.25 kg of sugar which amounts to a 30 day food ration. A total of 25 members from the affected communities actively participated in the beneficiary identification and distribution of food assistance. The operation reached more beneficiaries than due to the fact that during the planning of the DREF operation the estimated number of 5 members per family was used to estimate the target population but this was revised upwards to 6.5 persons per family, during the assessments and distributions, thus reaching 10,640 persons compared to 8,200 persons targeted. The food assistance served as an emergency intervention to provide affected families with food relief to reduce their vulnerability and improve their situation.